Enhance your social studies curriculum by participating in a program at the Museum of the City of New York. School programs can register for a visit during the school day, at 10:00 am or 1:00 pm.  All groups require a reservation. Programs cost $125 for a maximum of 35 children. Schools in School District 4 will receive a fee waiver due to generous funding from Target. Email schoolprograms@mcny.org to schedule your field trip.

 

NEW! Visit our Teacher Resource Guide page for Pre - and Post - visit classroom activities! 

GALLERY EXPERIENCES

Highlights of the Museum: 60 Minute Guided Exploration
Grades 5 - 12
Students visit the Museum’s latest exhibitions during this interactive educator-led tour. To choose exhibitions, visit http://www.mcny.org/exhibitions/. Teachers should specify if they wish to include a viewing of Timescapes, a 22-minute multi-media portrait of New York City.

Reading Buildings
Grades 1- 6
Why would the Museum of the City of New York–built in 1932–try to look like it was built during the colonial period? Using the Museum as an artifact, students discover architectural features of the building’s Colonial Revival style such as its columns and brickwork. Then, they assume the role of an architect to create their own models based on this style.

Making Room: New Models for Housing New Yorkers
Grades 6 – 12, opening January 2013
In New York City, one size doesn’t fit all when it comes to housing. Making Room looks at what happens when city codes are altered, prompting architects and developers to design housing that accommodates the city’s changing demographics. Students walk through a full-scale, furnished micro-unit for a single person and examine three-dimensional models and images of alternative housing types, from expandable units to shared housing. Then, they use the criteria outlined in the exhibition to propose housing models to satisfy the future needs of New Yorkers.

ACTIVIST NEW YORK: Programs are available for elementary, middle, and high school students.  

 

90-Minute: Activist New York Gallery Program
History of Social Activism in New York
Students learn about a range of topics, including immigration, suffrage, civil rights, and more. During the exhibition tour, they explore varied primary sources: from large-scale images to buttons, pamphlets, placards and signs. Afterwards, students create and wear a button championing a change they want to make to address an issue facing New York today. 
 

HISTORY LAB EXPERIENCES

Students will see highlights from the archives on a range of urban history topics and create group projects reflecting the content they learned at the Museum.  These programs take place in the Museum’s classrooms and will expose students to our rich collections.

Educators’ Choice: Teachers may request a 20-minute addition to any program listed below. During this additional time, students will be led through a Museum exhibition currently on view.

The Grid: Urban Planning in New York City
Grades K-5  
Students are introduced to concepts of city planning, including zoning and land use, that impact the makeup of our city’s neighborhoods. Participants will learn about the origins and evolution of Manhattan’s grid system and how it changed over time. Afterwards, the group will construct a model neighborhood that conforms to this 200-year-old plan.

Getting Around: How Transportation Shaped the City
Grades 2-4  
From horse drawn omnibuses to electric cars, transportation in New York City has undergone many changes from the 1800s to the present day. Using images that vividly document these changes, students create a pictorial timeline of the evolution of transportation in the city, including their own ideas for future innovations that could include natural gas or hybrid vehicles.

Mannahatta: The Lenape and the Land
Grades 2-6  
Students learn about the Lenape Native Americans who lived on the island of Mannahatta in the context of the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Mannahatta Project, which reconstructed the natural landscape of Manhattan. Using maps, images, and Native American objects, students explore the relationship between the Lenape people and their surrounding habitat. Afterwards, students create a storyboard tracing the use of the island’s resources from their natural state in the environment to how the Lenape used them.

New York City Bridges
Grades 2-8
New York City is an archipelago (a cluster of islands) connected by bridges and tunnels. Students explore the city’s many types of bridges–beam, truss, steel arch, pivot, and suspension–that help us travel to and from the five boroughs. Participants then take on the role of an engineer to design and build models of these bridges.

Planning Urban Places and Spaces 
Grades 2 and up
This four-session program uses the Museum’s neighborhood to introduce students to fundamental concepts in urban planning and design, such as designations of public and private space. Students explore East Harlem and use maps and plans to discuss zoning and land use, paying attention to the shape, size, and function of buildings and open spaces. As a culminating activity, students create a three-dimensional model of a block in East Harlem. $200 for all four sessions.

 

JOIN THE MAILING LIST

CONNECT WITH THE MUSEUM

PLAN YOUR SCHOOL TRIP

WORTH & MAINBOCHER

LINDSAY ONLINE EXHIBITION

BIRTHDAY PARTIES

BRING YOUR GROUP

COLLECTIONS PORTAL GUIDE